Nawaz Sharif is in a bind.
Wednesday is the last day left for the judges to be restored as promised by his party and Asif Zardari’s in their Murree Declaration.
But Zardari, as evinced in recent interviews, has veered completely off course in the final hour (he was swerving around during the past few weeks). Yesterday, [...]

The previous Intelligence Bureau chief Ejaz Shah–accused by Benazir Bhutto of plotting the assassination attempt on her in Karachi–has been allowed to leave the country for Australia. The purpose and duration of his visit is unclear, but it’s worth noting that Pervez Musharraf, a close friend of his, attempted to post him as high commissioner to that country in [...]

Below is my latest external piece, published at PostGlobal, a website run by WashingtonPost.com and Newsweek.com.
The published version contains edits (not by PostGlobal) I did not approve and does not include a major correction I submitted. Below is a more accurate version, which contains my approved edits and requested correction.
Recasting the U.S.-Pakistan Partnership
By [...]

The Afghan Taliban’s spring offensive has begun.
This afternoon in Kabul, two Taliban teams executed a well-coordinated attac on a military parade celebrating Mujahideen Day.
One group fired mortars while sharpshooters targeted dignitaries seated in bleachers. Two Afghan officials seated within 90 feet of Hamid Karzai were killed.
A Taliban spokesman said that his group did not [...]

Today, Maulvi Iqbal Haider submitted a petition to the Islamabad High Court (established by Pervez Musharraf in a decree on December 14, 2007) preemptively contesting the restoration of the deposed judges via parliament.
It’s worth noting that he’s the head of a tiny party, the Awami Himayat Tehreek, formerly named the Pervez Musharraf Himayat Tehreek [...]

There was a much talked about party at the president’s house last night. Those attending included Prime Minister Yousaf Raza Gillani and Army Chief of Staff Gen. Ashfaq Kayani. No members of the the Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) showed up. The de-facto interior minister Rehman Malik reportedly spent quite a bit of time [...]

Baitullah Mehsud, leader of the Taliban Movement of Pakistan, has called on the Taliban to stop their militant activities against the Pakistani government. His announcement states that those who violate the accord will be hung upside down in bazaars.
This indicates that Islamabad has possibly concluded a deal with the tribal elders of the Mehsuds, [...]